burgeoning

burgeoning : sprout and grow
spruiked : made a passionate or pompous speech (Aussie slang)


Qantas chief executive Geoff Dixon's dream of a chunk of the burgeoning South-East Asian airline market seems to have evaporated after the 49 per cent Qantas-owned Jetstar Asia conceded it was in talks on an "alliance" with Singapore budget carrier Valuair.

Responding to a report in Singapore's Business Times newspaper, Jetstar Asia chief executive Ken Ryan yesterday issued a statement that confirmed that "Jetstar Asia and Valuair are exploring a variety of ways that they can work together or co-operate with each other".

The statement is being taken as a defeat for Qantas, which previously spruiked ambitions of making Jetstar Asia a "very substantial" player in the low-cost Asian aviation arena. Qantas now faces the prospect of becoming the first high-profile casualty of the Asian low-cost airline war.
...
Valuair, founded by former Singapore Air executive Lim Chin Beng, was the first budget airline to begin services out of Singapore.

[ Low-cost war may ground Qantas ]

incentives

n. stimulus, inducement, enticement, encouragement

Demand for office space in Melbourne is forecast to be remain strong in 2005 despite the widespread gloom about commercial property, according to new research.

The BIS Shrapnel study found that the take up rate of office space in Melbourne's CBD in 2004 was higher than in the boom days of the late 1980's and forecast strong demand to continue throughout 2005.

The study's author Maria Lee said the bright forecast came at a time when there was general pessimism about the future of the Melbourne office market and leasing incentives were being offered to tenants.

Ms Lee said the strong demand for office space in 2004 had surprised many observers and had been passed off as being the result of tenants bringing forward leasing commitments because of the availability of low rents.

[ Melbourne office rentals defy pessimists ]

crude oil

: unprocessed oil, oil which has not been refined

As the nation grapples with the increasing cost of fuel, economists have criticised calls for a reduction in the federal government's petrol excise.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that International Energy Agency figures for the December quarter showed Australia had the fourth lowest petrol prices out of 29 members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The tax on petrol in Australia is less than half that charged in Britain, Germany and France though more than in the United States, Canada and Mexico, the paper said.

Commonwealth Bank's senior economist, Michael Workman, told the paper it was time to look at the issue of reintroducing petrol excise indexation to inflation, removed in 2001.

[ Economists say petrol taxes too low ]

stringent

adj. strict, demanding

Retail investors in Hong Kong have rushed the share offering by China's first bank to list overseas, Shanghai-based Bank of Communications, but the interest may be a misleading pointer to even bigger Chinese listings planned for coming months.

Large Chinese companies are turning to Hong Kong to raise capital because of less stringent listing requirements than exchanges in New York and elsewhere and because of the strong interest in mainland investment among its gutsy investors.

They are also propelled by the near collapse of China's own sharemarkets, where prices are 40 to 50 per cent below their highest levels in recent years, and where authorities are desperately trying to save ailing brokerages that had been offering guaranteed returns.

[ Hong Kong becomes China's springboard for float ]

revived

A LIFT in ratings for this year's controversial series of Big Brother has seen Channel Ten bounce back from a dismal start to 2005 to win the key under-40 viewing audience.

In recent weeks, Ten has sometimes scored between 40 per cent and 50 per cent of all viewers aged between 16 and 39 nationwide.

Among that age group, Big Brother's share of the commercial TV audience is up by more than 20 per cent this year, says Network Ten.

The Monday night nomination episodes are up by more than 30 per cent.

The under-40 demographic is arguably the most lucrative - and profitable - in commercial television.
...
Ten's third-quarter profit announced last week was lower than expected, but Big Brother has revived the network's fortunes

[ Under-40s give Ten the numbers to ad up in prime time ]

intact

put out : extinguish

LINT caught in a clothes dryer sparked a blaze which severely damaged an historic hotel at Trentham, north of Melbourne, a Country Fire Authority spokesman said.

The damage bill has been estimated at $1 million.

CFA's George Ellis said the cause of the fire at the Cosmopolitan Hotel early today had been traced to a duct in an industrial clothes dryer.

"There was a build up of lint which caught fire and caused the further damage," he said.

"The lower storey is intact but it sustained a lot of water and smoke damage," Mr Ellis said.

"The roof and ceiling of the building was all destroyed."

Bruce McKenzie has lived next door to the hotel for 78 years and said the whole place was made of wood.

"There were all wooden shingles under the iron roof which is great insulation, but unfortunately is hard to put out," he said.

[ $1m fire caused by dryer ]

reshuffle

vt. rearrange
front bench n. long seat in the British Parliament where ministers and Opposition leaders sit

Opposition Leader Kim Beazley has bowed to irresistible pressure to reshuffle his team, restoring Victorian MP Lindsay Tanner to the front bench and dumping the underperforming Laurie Ferguson from immigration.

After a week with his back to the wall, Mr Beazley last night held a special caucus meeting to expand the shadow ministry to accommodate Mr Tanner, who quit when Mark Latham refused to make him shadow treasurer.

A strong critic of Labor's performance, Mr Tanner was expected to get the finance role.

[ Tanner back in Beazley reshuffle ]

crave

vt. long for

Humans crave community, the sense of belonging that comes from associating with others. Online blogs and podcasting have allowed people to create and belong to communities around the world. But the development also raises the interesting question of who has a right to the microphone of public opinion.

The popularity of blogs, or web diaries, has boomed in the past year. About a quarter of US internet users say they read them. To put that into perspective, the number of people who read blogs is almost half the size of the entire US talk-radio audience and about a quarter the number of those who ready daily papers.

[ Speaking out ]

determination

n. FORMAL firm decision, decisiveness

The ESC has now called for submissions on its determination before it issues a final report in September.

The ESC has also instigated an independent assessment of the expenditure needs of two distributors, CitiPower and Powercor, both of which are owned by the Cheung Kong group.
...
Overall the draft determination demands that Victoria's five power distributors cut their tariffs by between 14 and 25.5 per cent next year. However, revenue reductions for the companies should be less than those figures as they are benefiting from increases in electricity sales and improved efficiency in their operations.

Big Brother

The Australian Family Association calls it Big Brothel. Liberal MP and morals crusader Trish Draper says it's an outrage. And now, after the latest flurry of complaints about Channel Ten's reality TV staple Big Brother, it is the subject of a Federal Government probe.

[ Big Brother or big brothel? ]

vigilant

adj.

The number of Australians hit by a global theft of credit card details has blown out to as many as 130,000 following revelations from Visa International on the extent of the US-based fraud.

Visa yesterday disclosed that the credit card details of as many as 80,000 of its Australian customers had been exposed to potential fraud, although it claimed that only about 3 per cent of these, or 2400 cards, had been used to buy goods illegally.
...
The news prompted a warning from Communications Minister Helen Coonan on the importance of tough security measures. "It reinforces the need for the Australian Government and industry to remain vigilant on these security issues," she told Parliament.

[ Card fraud window blows wide open ]

moderating

The supply of affordable housing in Australia will increase only with the help of the federal government, a number of housing industry representatives maintain.

Last year the federal government responded to a Productivity Commission report on first home ownership, saying that state and local government action would assist with moderating price and affordability pressures over time.

[ Govt 'preventing' affordable houses ]

scam

n. (INFORMAL)

Tens of thousands of Australian MasterCard and Visa holders have been hit by a massive case of US computer fraud that exposes credit card details to theft, despite at least two Australian banks detecting the scam as long as six months ago.

It emerged yesterday that the scam, which has left 40 million cards worldwide vulnerable to fraud, was detected by National Australia Bank in December and ANZ in January. But it was not until last weekend that US authorities were confident enough to track the original security breach to Arizona-based CardSystems Solutions, a company that processes transactions for US banks. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the incident.
...
The scam was publicised over the weekend when MasterCard and CardSystems released statements about the debacle. CardSystems said it had alerted the FBI and was upgrading its security systems.

[ US scam hits credit card holders ]

mighty

adj. (LITERARY) strong; powerful; great

Once simply a little engine that could, Google is today a diverse, mighty and seemingly omnipresent force. It is the brand name for finding stuff on the web, a master of infusing itself into our lives and is constantly rolling out innovative services to keep us hooked.

[ Searching for gold ]

strive

v.
overstretched adj. excessively stretched

Mentally ill patients are swamping Victoria's hospital emergency departments because psychiatric services are overstretched.

One in 25 of the hospitals' nearly one million emergency patients last year were seeking treatment for a mental condition.
...
He said most mental patients should not be coming to emergency at all. "In an ideal world . . . the crisis assessment teams would be able to assess them in the community . . . and we would be able to directly admit patients to our mental health inpatient beds," he said. "We still strive towards that."

[ Hospitals hit by mental health crisis ]

obesity

n. 癡肥
obese adj.

They quoted a top medical expert as saying high-fat diets and less active lifestyles in a country with rising incomes were exacerbating the problem.

The expert said trends among children were the most worrying with 10% of them considered obese.

China has already 90m people out of 1.3bn whose weight is more than 20% in excess of the accepted level.

[ China warned of obesity time-bomb ]

anatomy

n. 解剖學

Renaissance n. (c. 1350-1600) revival of the arts and learning that began in Italy and spread throughout Europe (most often associated with the works of Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Dante, and Da Vinci)
bronchial tube n. 支氣管 (=bronchia)
Florentine n. 佛羅倫斯人

Two Brazilian doctors and amateur art lovers believe they have uncovered a secret lesson on human anatomy hidden by Renaissance artist Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel's ceiling.
...

But Gilson Barreto and Marcelo de Oliveira believe Michelangelo also scattered his detailed knowledge of internal anatomy across 34 of the ceiling's 38 panels. The way they see it, a tree trunk is not just a tree trunk, but also a bronchial tube. And a green bag in one scene is really a human heart.

The key to finding the numerous organs, bones and other human insides is to first crack a "code" they believe was left behind by the Florentine artist. Essentially, it is a set of sometimes subtle, sometimes overt clues, like the way a figure is pointing.

[ 'Michelangelo code' uncovered ]

imminent

adj. forthcoming, approaching

"China would be the new customer that we are looking most seriously at," Mr Macfarlane said.

The Government's imminent decision, which coincides with its historic control of both houses of Federal Parliament, comes amid an escalating domestic debate about whether Australia ought to consider nuclear power.

It also comes amid economists' dire concerns that Australia's trade and capital shortfalls are pushing the nation to crippling levels of debt. Foreign debt has reached a record $22 billion - equivalent to more than half the value of all goods and services produced by the nation each year.

[ Canberra set on China uranium deal ]

up to scratch

up to scratch : (phrase) appropriate, satisfactory, ready to start
the bush : the untamed scrub, woods, forests of rural Australia in its natural state, also refers to rural Australia in general (Aussie Slang)

The Nationals share the concerns of the National Farmers' Federation (NFF) that Telstra services in the bush are not yet up to scratch, Queensland Nationals MP Paul Neville says.

[ Telstra services lacking: MP ]

scarce

As scarce as rocking horse shit : very rare (Aussie slang)
As scarce as rocking-horse manure : rare (Aussie slang)
manure : n. dung

Commission chairman John Tamblyn said price increases were necessary as water was becoming a scarce resource. He said the growing population and ageing assets would put pressure on supply and infrastructure in the future.

[ Home water bills to rise $24 a year ]

dentures

plural noun : artificial tooth

Public dental patients are waiting on average six months longer to see a dentist than they did almost two years ago, according to figures released yesterday.

Waiting times have jumped at most of the state's 61 clinics, with patients waiting an average of two-and-a-half years for an appointment and almost three years for dentures.

The longest waits are in rural areas, with delays of more than five years to get a dental appointment in Portland, Sale and Warrnambool and more than five years for dentures in Portland and Dandenong.
...
Mr Hurkens - whose wife Jacoba has been waiting in pain for a knee operation for two years - migrated from Holland with his wife in 1970. They have six children. He said his teeth were in poor condition because he grew up during World War II, when many Dutch were malnourished.

[ State's dental queue long in the tooth ]

decent

n. proper

International trade expert Alan Oxley says he believes most of these companies have strong policies on corruption and decent employment standards. He does not see it as the role of Australian companies to become crusaders on human rights or labour standards in China. "Companies are better off when they focus on policies that enable their business to work better," Mr Oxley says.

[ Ethics suffer in trade with China ]

molestation

n. sexual harassment

Michael Jackson has been found not guilty on all 10 charges against him, including child molestation, conspiracy and supplying alcohol to a minor.

The total legal victory vindicated the pop star, who insisted he was the victim of mother-and-son con artists and a prosecutor with a vendetta.

[ Michael Jackson not guilty ]

rivalry

adj.

rival n. competitor

Telstra's culture will change. Customers must come first, he says. Internal bureaucracies, political theories, executive rivalries, even regulators will be challenged: "You try to eliminate things that are not adding value to customers."

[ No split for Telstra, says Trujillo ]

shutter

n. 百葉窗

"But what really surprised us and stunned us, and I think is a pretty flagrant breach of ... keeping oppositions properly informed, the government just drew down the shutters."

Mr Rudd said Labor maintained the view that Mr Chen should be provided with appropriate protection in Australia.

[ Labor raises legal questions in Chen case ]

drought

THE heavens finally opened over parts of drought-parched NSW today, but farmers say they need much more - and soon - to have any hope of planting winter crops.

Some desperate areas - including Goulburn near Canberra - had nothing more than a drizzle, recording just 0.4mm.
...

[ Heavens open but not enough ]

deteriorate

vi. to become worse

With 9,981,900 now in work, that suggests the labour force will top 10 million within months. Treasurer Peter Costello said Government efforts to encourage people to work had been a success, but warned that the employment outlook had deteriorated.

[ All hands on deck in jobs boom ]

job ad - .NET Mobility Specialists

.NET Mobility Specialists!

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• 2 years+ .NET development, (C#/VB.NET/ASP.NET) at least 1 of which developing upon the compact .NET framework
• Experience with building applications in the arena of PocketPC devices, PDA's etc.
• Competent back-end capabilities with SQL Server or Oracle

This is a permanent position, remuneration for which will be based upon skill level and prior experience within this area. It is a true opportunity to work for a market leader and bolster yourself within the market as a .NET specialist. If you have the above skill set, please apply with a word format CV in the first instance, including a relevant skills matrix detailing your experience in the above listed areas!

Map of Australia

Australian National Anthem

[ preface ]

Advance Australia Fair

Australians all let us rejoice,
For we are young and free;
We’ve golden soil and wealth for toil;
Our home is girt by sea;
Our land abounds in nature’s gifts
Of beauty rich and rare;
In history’s page, let every stage
Advance Australia Fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing,
Advance Australia Fair.

Beneath our radiant Southern Cross
We’ll toil with hearts and hands;
To make this Commonwealth of ours
Renowned of all the lands;
For those who’ve come across the seas
We’ve boundless plains to share;
With courage let us all combine
To Advance Australia Fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing,
Advance Australia Fair.

Advance Australia Fair - Julie Anthony
(Vocal MP3 1.12MB)

Advance Australia Fair - Royal Australian Air Force Central Band
(Instrumental MP3 1.5MB)

Another two versions:
'Australia' sung by Erin Collins & friends (MP3 4.3 MB)
'Australia' sung by Thor Prohaska (MP3 2.475 MB)

Australian National Flag

Australian National Flag Association

ta & ta-ta

ta : thanks (Aussie slang)
ta-ta : good-bye (Aussie slang)

booze

n. alcoholic beverage (Aussie slang)

Booze artist : heavy drinker (Aussie slang)
Boozing mate : drinking partner (Aussie slang)

... ALL drivers aged 23 or younger would have to adhere to a zero-alcohol rule under a world-first proposal by the RACV.
...
A BLANKET ban on mobile use, including hands-free phones.
...

[ Booze ban plan for young drivers ]

fossil fuel

n. 化石燃料

While most scientists agree the burning of fossil fuels for transport and to generate electricity is a major contributor to potentially catastrophic climate change, the Bush Administration is not convinced.


[ World leaders feel the heat from global warming ]

lodge

vt. accommodate someone

Through an interpreter, Mr Hoa said he had had only brief dealings with the Immigration Department, which is considering his and his fiancee's applications for asylum. They were lodged after the pair arrived in Australia as part of a Chinese tour group in February.

[ Asylum seeker reveals China's 'Secret Force' ]

lodge

n.

Ajax, Mount Buller
... It's a good choice for families with the significant pleasure of someone doing the cooking for you and good facilities in the lodge, including a games room, sauna and spa, an open fire and even a library area for some peace and quiet.
...


[ Snow country ]

cautious optimism

審慎樂觀

"The homebuying community is clearly in a period of cautious optimism which is likely to continue given the current interest rate outlook," he said.

[ House prices expected to fall this year ]

diplomat

n. 外交官

Hao Feng Jun, 32, last night backed the claims of diplomat Chen Yonglin that a large network of Chinese agents was operating in Australia.

[ Second defector backs spy claim ]

political asylum

n. 政治庇護

A former security officer has become the second Chinese official to seek asylum in Australia, deepening the dilemma for the Australian Government and creating a fresh embarrassment for Beijing.

[ Second defector backs spy claim ]

Words at the very beginning

Reading newspaper every day and writing down words with its explanations and sentences extracted from pieces of news reports are the principal idea for me to write this blog, though some interesting ideas would also be put on it. But, basically the blog is to help me or you, as long as you are interested in, to improve vocabulary and expression of English and to keep eyes on current affairs.

I had attended an IELTS test three years ago and got an upper intermediate range score. What I expect my English to be is to reach an operational or advanced level. That's the reason why I have this idea to write this blog. I reckon this habit could improve my English gradually, and I have been doing that for almost a year. With the help of weblogging, I'm able to put that habit to the web from the paper. Stocking three words a day is what I want to achieve, if not so, at least one per day. Discussions or comments to my posts are welcomed as I believe language is regarding communication and interaction among people.

And, I am so thankful of the advancement of the technology that I'm able to share my study towards more advanced English and exchange ideas among others. So, please fire your mouth off and I’ll be appreciating that.